The dental industry could be faced with additional workforce challenges as more dentists reach retirement age, according to Dentalpost’s 2026 Dental Salary Survey Report.
Dentalpost’s annual report highlights various industry trends, including workforce, salary and practice management. Dentalpost surveyed nearly 3,575 dental professionals to create this year’s report. The survey was conducted from Aug. 29 until Sept. 30, 2025.
Seven notes on the dentist workforce from the report:
1. Seventy-seven percent of dentists are owners or partners.
2. Eighty-three percent of dentists are general dentists.
3. Sixty-five percent of dentists are male.
4. Eighty-nine percent of dentists work full time, while 11% work part time.
5. Eighty-three percent of dentists work in private practice, while 10% work in corporate offices.
6. Thirty-eight percent of dentists work with a mixed-model financial structure, while 27% of dentists work in a PPO-based practice.
7. Thirty percent of dentists are 45 and younger. Twenty-one percent of dentists are between the ages of 46 and 54, while 26% of dentists are between the ages of 55 and 64.
